Can You Feel The Love Tonight
by pikapiaaml
Summary: *AAML* Watching the Lion King on Valentines Day put this idea in my head! Strange references to the part spoken by Timon and Pumba in the said song. Review!


Disclaimer1: If I owned Pokémon I wouldn't write stories.  I'd write scripts!

Disclaimer2: I don't own the lovely song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight".  I think that one's Elton John's!

It's a one-shot AAML!  I love these.  It doesn't take forever to finish, and they're cute!  ^_^

Firstly, have you seen the Lion King?  There's a beautiful song in it called "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" (hence, the title of this story), where Simba and Nala kinda realize they're in love.  Well, it's started by Timon and Pumba with a little ditty by them, and finished the same.  I kinda got the idea of this from that.  

And I'm assuming that Ash was in Hoenn for 1 year.  Now, enjoy!

***

Can You Feel The Love Tonight 

"At last!" cried Ash, as he threw himself down on the couch.  "I'm home!"  He looked around the lounge.  Everything was exactly the same.

"I'm so glad your back-" his mother said as she walked towards him, but Ash interrupted her as he stood up.

"Really?" he asked her.

"I've missed you so much Pikachu!" she exclaimed as she walked past Ash, and picked Pikachu up.  Ash fell back on the couch, disappointed.

"Don't worry darling, I missed you too," she assured him.  "I missed you as well Brock, especially your cooking," she told Brock.

"It's nice to be back here.  Thanks," he said.

"Please!  Any friend of Ash is welcome here."  She turned to Ash's newest friends.  "And who's this?" Delia asked.

"I'm Haruka, and this is my little brother, Masato" Haruka told her.  "Ash, well, Pikachu toasted my bike, but that's all forgotten now."  Out of the corner of her eye, Ash and Pikachu breathed a sigh of relief.  She smiled.

"Another bike?" Delia asked him.  "This is becoming a habit with you Ash," she teased.

"I didn't-" then he realised something.  "Hang on, how did you know about Misty's bike?"

Delia panicked.  "I erm ... just guessed!  Lucky huh?"

"You broke _another_ bike?" Haruka said in disbelief.

"That's unlucky," Masato said.  Then a rattle came from inside the kitchen.  

Ash jumped up from the couch.  "Who's in there?" he asked his mom.

"No one!"  She moved to block the entrance to the kitchen.  Pikachu's ears began to twitch and he jumped down from Delia's arms.  

"What is it Pikachu?" Brock asked.

Pikachu was silent, listening.  He sniffed the air and his face showed a look of surprise and happiness.  "Pipipi!  Pikachupi!" he cried, and he ran under Delia into the kitchen.

Delia moved out of the way slightly and Ash ran past.  "No Ash!  It ... " she murmured.  Brock, Haruka and Masato ran into the kitchen and saw ... 

Ash staring in disbelief at the girl who was standing by the sink, and supposed to be chopping vegetables.  She, too, looked surprised to see him.  But Pikachu and a Togepi were happily hugging each other.

"Misty?" Ash whispered.  He wasn't ready to see her.  Not yet anyway.  He hadn't thought what to say, how to say it, or what to do ... 

"Ash?" Misty whispered.  She hadn't wanted to see him yet as well.  She was so confused.  She thought she didn't feel this way about him anymore.  But the feelings came flooding back ... 

"It was meant to be a surprise," Delia told them as she entered the kitchen.

"Well it worked Mom," Ash said.  

"We'll ... just go in there," Haruka said to them.  "Come on Masato," and she dragged him away.  

"Yeah, we'd better go in there as well," Delia said to Brock.  They picked up Pikachu and Togepi and walked back into the lounge.  Leaving Ash and Misty in the kitchen, alone, together.

*

Outside, Jessie, James and Meowth peered through the window to the kitchen.  "Well, well, look who it is," Meowth said.

"The red-headed twerp," James said.

"Isn't it sweet?" Jessie said lightly.  

"What's sweet?" Meowth asked her.

"Can't you see it?" 

"See what?" James pondered.

Jessie sighed.  "Men ...  Now just keep quiet."  They turned back to looking through the window.

*

Back in the kitchen, everything was quiet.  Only the ticking of the clock could be heard in the background.

"It's nice to see you Misty," Ash finally said, breaking the ice.  

"You too," she replied.  "I like the outfit," she commented about the clothes his Mom had given him before he left for Hoenn.  They smiled and sat down at the table in the middle of the kitchen.

"Thanks.  You look great too," he said about the knee length black shorts, and blue sports dress worn over it.  

"Thanks.  Same old hair do," she joked, and they shared an awkward laugh.

"So ... what have you been doing?" Ash asked.

"Looking after all the Pokémon, Gym Battles, things like that.  It was nice to see all of my Pokémon again," she finished.  "You?  Travelling as usual?"

"Yep," he replied.  "Don't suppose you wanna hear the details," he said.

"No ... I do," she told him.  They both smiled.

"Ok.  I'll start at the beginning," he said.  

And they talked for hours.

*

"How long are they gonna be?" Masato whined.  "I'm hungry!" he said, cuddling Pikachu on his lap.

"Masato!  They'll be as long as they're gonna be," Haruka scolded.  She turned her attention back to Togepi, who she was holding.  She lifted him up and he chirped.  "You're a cutie!  Yes you are, oh yes you are!" she spoke in baby talk to him.  Then there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" Delia said.  She opened the door to reveal Prof. Oak and Tracey.

"Hello," Prof. Oak said.  The two of them stepped inside.

"I hope we're not too late for dinner," Tracey apologised.  "We were checking on the Pokémon, and one of the Nidorina had a Nidorino horn stuck up her-"

"Tracey!" Prof. Oak shouted.  "I don't think they want to hear about that!" he said nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry!" he apologised.

"Well ... there's a small problem with dinner," she explained.  Suddenly two loud laughs came from the kitchen.

"Two certain glitches," Brock said.

"They've been in there for hours!" Masato moaned.  He got a nudge from Haruka.

"Masato!" she sternly warned him.

"Ash and ... what's her name.  Minnie?" Masato thought.

"Misty?  She's here?" Tracey looked to Brock for confirmation.  He nodded.

"Prof. Oak?" Delia asked.  "Can ... I have a word with you, about them?" Delia asked, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

"Sure.  I'll try to help," he said.  They stepped outside the front door.

"How long now?" Masato moaned.  "What are they doing in the kitchen?  What's happening in there?"

"Well, I can see what's happening," Tracey said, moving to face the direction of the kitchen.

"Huh?" Masato asked, looking puzzled.

"They don't even have a clue," Brock added, moving next to Tracey.

"Who?" Masato asked again, standing up on the couch.

"They'll fall in love," Haruka said sweetly, pulling Masato to sit down, while she knelt up.

"But there's a bottom line," Tracey said, turning inwards to their 'circle'.

"The group'll be missing two," Brock finished, turning to face Haruka and Masato.

"Oh," Masato understood.  "Ash and Misty?"

"Yep," Haruka said.  "It's so obvious, isn't it Togepi?"

"Toge, toge piii!" he chirped.

"Pikachupi pi Pikapi pika!" Pikachu said happily.

Prof. Oak and Delia then re-entered the house carrying 5 boxes of pizza.

"Dinner's served," Prof. Oak told them.

"Finally!" Masato cried.

"Takeaway?" Tracey asked.  

"She couldn't get into the kitchen, could she?" Haruka reminded him.

"Here we are!" she said.  "We have plain old cheese, pepperoni, meat feast, chicken, and an anchovy, spinach and pineapple pizza for Prof. Oak."

"Yuk!" Masato said.

"Do you think we should tell them the pizza is here?" Tracey asked while picking up a slice of chicken pizza.

"We'd better," Brock said.  "I'll do it."  He stood up and went into the kitchen.

*

Jessie, James and Meowth looked into the lounge, their mouths watering.  

"It's not fair!" Jessie moaned, while biting into a slice from a pizza they managed to steal from the pizza bike.

"You said it Jess," Meowth moaned.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet cried, coming out of the Poke ball.

"Get back in!  There's barely enough for us, never mind you!" she said.

"Wobbu," he moaned as he returned to the Poké ball.

"Oh well," James sighed.  "At least we have food."

"We'd better hurry and get ready," Jessie said.

"Mmhmm," Meowth agreed, and they hurriedly ate.

*

Brock walked into the kitchen and saw they weren't in there.  He then noticed the back door was open.  He looked out and saw the night sky, the moon and the stars.  He watched and heard Ash and Misty speaking outside in the middle of the lawn, quietly.

"That's about everything," he heard Ash say.

"Wow.  Never short of adventures, Ash Ketchum," Misty teased.

"Never a dull moment," he agreed.  He turned to look at her.

_"This could be it!"_ Brock thought.  They moved slightly closer to each other, and then Tracey and Haruka, with Pikachu and Togepi, walked into the room.

"Brock, have you asked them-" Tracey began ask him.

"Shhh!  Look," Brock told him quietly, and he pushed the two of them into their view.

Ash suddenly jumped up, pulling Misty up with him.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her off to somewhere.

"They were so close!" he moaned.  

"Wonder where they're going?" Tracey thought.

"Left to the imagination," Brock cryptically answered.

"Ah," Haruka sighed.  "The sweet caress of twilight," she said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Like there's magic everywhere," Tracey added, leaning against the opposite doorframe.

"But with all this romantic atmosphere ... " Brock trailed off, as he put his hands on their shoulders.  Screams could then be heard in the distance.

"Disaster's in the air!" they all finished together, and they ran to see what was happening.

*

Ash and Misty, in the meantime, were stuck down a hole with Team Rocket standing above them.

"For the last time, HAND OVER YOUR POKÉMON!" Jessie told them.

"I don't have them on me!" Ash said.

"Mine aren't here either!" Misty replied.

"Well twerp, I guess we'd better make do with holding ya girlfriend hostage," Meowth said.

Ash blushed slightly.  "She's not my girlfriend!" he told them.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Misty shouted.  She had also turned red.

"Déjà vu," James said.  "Where have I seen this before?"

"They're blushing!" Jessie said.  "Aww!  How cute!"  She leaned into the hole slightly.

"Ash and Misty sitting in a tree," James chanted.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" they all joined in, dancing around the edge of the hole.  Ash and Misty, embarrassed by it, couldn't look at each other.  

"First comes love," said James, producing a huge heart out of nowhere.

"Second comes marriage," Jessie continued, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Third comes a baby in a golden carriage!" Meowth finished, wearing a baby suit.

"WHAT!?" they exclaimed together.

"What's wrong twerps?  It's soooo obvious," Jessie stated.

"What's obvious!?" Ash shouted.

"Twerp, do we have to spell it out?" Meowth moaned.  

"Kissy, kissy twerps," Jessie teased, making Ash and Misty blush even more.  "You two are more than just friends."

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet cried whilst coming out of its Poké ball.  Jessie sighed.

Out of the corner of Meowth's eye, he noticed Brock, Tracey and Haruka running towards them.  "Here comes the cavalry!"

"Team Rocket!" Tracey cried.

"Look James, it's the "watcher".  Be careful, he might draw you to death!" Jessie said sarcastically.

"Grrr ... " said Tracey as he reached for his Poké ball.

"No!" Misty said, as Brock and Haruka helped her out of the hole.  "Let me beat them.  Togepi, go!" she ordered.

"Togepi!?  You're gonna use da little egg?" Meowth mocked.

"I like to eat eggs," James commented.  "Scrambled, poached, boiled or fried!  Yum!"

"Be careful what you say," Misty warned.  "I wouldn't get Togepi angry."

"I'm soooo scared," Jessie said.  "He might hug us!"

Togepi's face turned angry.  "Togepi, use Metronome!" Misty told him.

"Metronome?" Brock asked.  "What if he chooses Explosion?"

"Don't worry Brock," Misty said.  "Togepi's good when it comes to Metronome."

They watched as Togepi waved his arms about from left to right.  Nobody moved, afraid of what move could be chosen. His arms began to glow blue.  He stopped waving as the move was selected.

"Uh oh ... " Meowth said.

Togepi's front spike began to glow, and then a huge white blast came from it, heading towards Team Rocket.  

"Hyper Beam!" Ash cried.  

The Hyper Beam hit Team Rocket full on, and pushed them high up into the sky.

"Not again!" Jessie shouted, scrunched in a ball.

"And by an egg!" James moaned.

"Wobbuffet!" came a reply.

"We're blasting off again!!!" they shouted, as they became a spot in the distance.

Togepi, worn out by the powerful attack, sat down on the ground.  Misty moved over and picked him up.  "Well done Togepi.  That was great!  You should have a sleep now," she said.  Togepi yawned, stretched his little arms, and closed its eyes.

"Wow.  You've done a great job with Togepi," Brock said, moving over to her.

"Thanks," Misty said, as she turned to look at Ash.  "You still gonna show me?" she asked him, smiling.  

"If you still want me to," he replied, smiling as well.

"Shall I look after Togepi?" Haruka asked Misty.

"Yeah, thanks.  Erm, what's your name?" Misty asked her as she handed the sleeping Togepi over.

"Haruka.  I travelled around with-"

"She'll tell you later.  Come on," Brock said, pushing her away and cutting her off.  Tracey followed behind.

For a small moment, Misty felt jealous and then heartbroken.  She knew she didn't have a right to be, but she was.  Had that girl travelled around with Ash?  Did Ash like that girl?  Was Ash just being a friend now, and nothing more?

"Coming?" Ash asked, breaking her thoughts.

"Uh, lead the way!" Misty said as enthusiastically as she could, and they walked off.

*

Back at the house, everyone was in the lounge talking and playing Scrabble.

"There!" Tracey cried, as he managed to get rid of all of his letters.  He jumped up in joy.

"No fair!" Brock shouted.  "Is that legal?" he asked, reaching for the rulebook.

"This _is_ the Pokémon edition Brock," Delia said, checking the box.

"I think you can use Pokémon names," Prof. Oak said.

"Yes!  And triple word score!" Tracey celebrated.  

"It's a bit of a coincidence, isn't it?  Tracey managing to spell PIKACHU," Masato said, looking towards Pikachu.  He was trying to keep a freshly awakened Togepi amused.

"Oh man ... If only I'd known.  I could have spelt TAILLOW ages ago!" Brock moaned.

"Better luck next time Brock," Prof. Oak said.  "Now, I believe it's my go."

"Its Haruka's go now," Brock said.  He saw her standing looking outside in the kitchen.  "Haruka, it's your go!"

"I'll pass.  I'm not very good at Scrabble," she said to them.  She turned back to looking outside.

"What's up with her?" Prof. Oak wondered out loud as he altered the scorecard.

"I'll go see," Brock said.  He stood up and walked over to Haruka.  "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Something ... feels weird.  Strange," she said to him.  Brock moved to stand in front of her.

"Something bad, or something good?" he asked.

"Good.  Definitely good," she replied.  "It's in the air ... or maybe it's the romantic in me," she decided.

"What do you mean?" Brock asked.  He leaned slightly against the doorframe.

"Maybe it's nothing," she said.

"No, what?" Brock questioned.  

"It's sounds corny, but ... can you feel the love, tonight?  In the air?"

Brock turned to face the incoming wind and let it blow through his hair.  "Maybe it just feels like that ... because we know there's love in the air.  That it's happening right now."

Haruka studied him standing there, wind messing up his hair.  For a moment, she wondered if there was a second and underlying meaning to his words.  She looked at him as he turned around to speak to her.

"Coming back in to play?" he asked, walking towards the door.

"In a minute," she replied, while smiling at him.  He smiled back at her, and walked back.

She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands.  Then she stood, hat off her head, facing into the wind.  She felt happy for a minute, and moved to stand outside.  It was quiet, and she could hear Hoot Hoot making noises.  For an unknown reason, she felt a song building up inside of her, and she sang it out.

_"Can you feel the love tonight?_

_The peace the evening brings._

_The world, for once, in perfect harmony,_

_With all its living things."_

_"Can you feel the love tonight?_

_It's breathing, not too far._

_Do they feel it too?  I know for certain,_

_Love is where they are."_

She sighed again, and heard the shouting coming from the lounge.  

"Yes!  All seven letters used!  STEELIX!" she heard Prof. Oak cry.  She heard Brock moan again.  And she smiled.  

Then she glanced at the clock on the wall.

9 pm.

*

"How much further Ash?" Misty asked for the nth time.  They had been walking for over 20 minutes, since they had gotten rid of Team Rocket.

"Not much further.  Trust me, you'll love it," he said, turning his head to see her.  He winked.

They walked over some rocks, until they reached the sand.  "Are we at the beach?" Misty asked.

"Yep.  Nearly there," Ash reminded her.  

"What's that?" Misty asked.  She noticed a crevice in the rock emitting a glow.

"That's it," he said.  He held her hand again and pulled her to the rocky side, near the crevice.

Ash signalled for her to keep quiet, and she nodded.  They edged along the wall until they reached the 'crevice', which turned out to be a huge cave.  They moved closer, and Ash showed her the inside.

"It's ... amazing!" she exclaimed, quietly.  

For what Ash had brought her to see was a cave full of twinkling Staryu and Starmie.  They were stuck all over the walls and the floor, their cores glittering in several colours.

"Do you like it?" Ash asked.  He thought she might, but she hadn't said much since they had arrived.

"I love it!" she squealed, as she flung her arms around him.  He was taller than her now, so her aim was a little off, and she caught him in a ticklish area.

"Misty!  That tickled!" he complained.  

"Oh did it now?" she teased.  She went to tickle him again, but he moved out of the way.

"Catch me if you can!" he shouted to her, as he ran up the beach.

"I'll get you Ash Ketchum!" she called, and she ran after him.

Ash steered himself into the water and allowed Misty to get near to him, then he kicked water at her.

"Ash!" Misty cried.  "That's mean!  I'll get soaked!"

"Ok, I'll stop," he said, and he stopped kicking the water.  Then Misty kicked the water at him.

"Misty!" Ash moaned.

"What?  You never said I had to stop?" she teased.  

"That's it!" he shouted, and he ran at her.  

"Ash!  What-" she tried to ask, but he grabbed her waist.  He slid quickly onto the sand, and she fell on top of him.

"Gotcha," he said as he looked up at her, her face a few inches away.  Her red hair was soaking, and the water was dripping off it and onto his face.  God, how much he wanted to kiss her ... 

She looked down at him, cap-less, black hair clumping together, water from her own hair splashing on him, and a strange look on his face.  God how much she wanted to kiss him ... 

_"No!!!"_ ripped through her mind.  She sat kneeling upright as panic flooded through her body.  The realisation hit her.

She was in love with Ash.  She was still in love with Ash.  

She was going to stand up and run, but Ash sat up as well and gently grabbed hold of her arms, stopping her from running.  "Misty, what's wrong?" he asked, worried about her.  She was taking quick breaths, so he placed his hands on her shoulders.  "Misty calm down."

"I can't calm down!" she said.  "This was a bad idea!  I shouldn't have listened to your Mom, I shouldn't have come here."

"Why not?"  He was really worried about her, yet he was slightly angry as well.  He didn't know why, but he was.  

She hesitated before answering.  "I'm afraid," she whispered to him.  

"Of what?  Me?  Just tell me Misty, please!" he asked.  He was beginning to panic at how it was all falling apart.  He thought it was a perfect plan: show her his secret cave, walk along the beach, and then tell her how he felt ...  What went wrong?  

"I ... I'm falling for you Ash.  I _have_ fallen for you," she confessed, her body shaking and tears cascading down her face.  When Ash didn't say anything, she felt the world around her crumble.  "No ... please say I haven't just wrecked every-" she said, nearly bursting into sobs.

"Shhh," Ash said, pressing a finger against her lips.  He used his fingers to wipe away the tears that had fallen, and he placed his hands on her back.

"I'm falling for you too," he said.  All of his panic and nervousness vanished, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You are?" Misty asked him.  She was happy beyond belief inside, and secretly thanking everything.  "But I thought-"

"Don't think anymore," he whispered as he moved closer.  "Just do."

"Shut up," she whispered back.

And they finally kissed.

*

Tracey stood up and stretched his arms out.  He looked around and saw Brock, Haruka and Masato sprawled out on the couch and chairs, asleep.  When had that happened?

"Tracey?" Haruka asked sleepily.  "What time is it?"  She moved the sleeping Masato, still holding Pikachu, gently off her and stood up.

"Erm," he said, glancing at his watch.  "It's two thirty in the morning!  Yikes!"

"Are they back yet?" she queried, walking up the stairs.

"Let me check in the kitchen," Tracey told her, and he did.  No one was there.

"They're not up here," Haruka said as she came down the stairs.

"No sign of them."  Tracey went to wake Brock up, not wanting to worry Mrs. Ketchum or Prof. Oak, wherever they were.

"Huh?" Brock asked as he left his dream.  "Where did Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny go?" 

"Err ... " Tracey groaned nervously.

"Brock, they're not back yet!" Haruka said, bringing up the original topic.  

"What!?" Brock shouted, and he jumped right up.

"Shhh!" Tracey said, pointing to the sleeping Masato, Pikachu and Togepi.

"Don't wake them up," Haruka warned him.

Brock looked at his watch.  2:33am.  "Let's go outside and check," he said.  

They stood at the kitchen back door looking out into the cold night, leaving the lights out in the kitchen.  The sky was cloudless, the moon and stars lighting everywhere up.

"Do you think something bad happened?" Tracey asked.

"I'm not sure," Brock said.  

Suddenly, keys could be heard jingling and the front door opened to reveal the 'missing' people.  Brock motioned them to be quiet and they nodded.  They peered out into the lounge to watch them.

"I'm freezing," Misty said whilst rubbing her arms furiously.

"Hey, don't I make a good hot water bottle?" Ash sulked, wearing a false upset look on his face.

"I'm not sure ... let me double check," she said, wrapping her arms round his neck.  He wrapped his around her waist and pulled her close.

"I'm even better when I do ... this," he informed her, moving down and kissing her.  She moved closer, and he pulled her closer.  

Misty moaned a little and the kiss broke.  "I'm a little warmer now," she told him.

"Only a little?" he joked.  His reply was an elbow in his stomach.  "Hey!"

"I'm tired," she whispered, leaning up to kiss his neck.

"I'm not surprised," Ash joked.  "Let's go to bed."  He took her hand in his, and began to walk up the stairs.  

"Can't ... walk ... " Misty teased Ash, causing him to yank her arm.

"You'll never get warm then," Ash told her simply.  This encouraged Misty, and she rushed up the stairs.

Tracey, Haruka and Brock emerged from their hiding place.

"Wow!" Haruka said quietly.  "They're together!"

"Yes!" Tracey and Brock said quietly, clapping their hands together.

"I wonder what happened?" Tracey asked.

"It's like I said earlier," Brock reminded him.  "Best left to the imagination."

"I think they fell in love tonight," Haruka half sang.

"So can we assume?" Tracey asked them.

"His carefree days, with us, are history," Brock said sadly.

"In short?" Haruka asked them.

"Our pal ... is doomed!" Brock and Tracey said together, heading up the stairs.

"Men ... " Haruka sighed, and she went to get Masato to bed.

*

Next morning, the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the house at 9:00am.

"Breakfast!" Delia called to them.

Haruka and Masato were the first downstairs, holding Pikachu and Togepi.  "This smells lovely!" Haruka exclaimed.

"Thanks Mrs. Ketchum," Masato said as they both sat down at the table.

"That's fine young man," she replied.  Next Ash and Misty walked in.

"Good morning!" Delia said cheerfully.  "When did you get back last night?"

"Erm ... " Ash hesitated.  Then he was saved by the arrival of Tracey and Brock.  

"Morning!" Misty said quickly.  "Tracey, you slept here?"

"Yeah, half two-"he began, but Brock elbowed him.  "I mean, uh, half twelve was a little too late to walk back to the lab.  I hope you didn't mind Mrs. Ketchum."

"Not at all!" she said.  By now they had all sat down at the table and were tucking into breakfast.

"Ash," Delia asked.  "Where did you and Misty disappear to last night?"  Everyone, apart from Masato, stopped eating and listened.  

"I showed her the beach," Ash said.

"The beach?  At night?" Delia said in disbelief.

"I showed her that cave with the Staryu's and Starmie's.  It had to be at night, otherwise there wouldn't be much to see," Ash said innocently.

"It was really pretty," Misty described.  "All their cores were glowing.  The colours were amazing," she finished.

"Anything else?" Brock asked, curious about what they would say.

"We just walked," said Ash.

"And talked," added Misty.  

"That sounds nice," Delia commented.  "I hope you had fun," she said, as she continued eating.

"I looked after Pikachu and Togepi for you," Masato said.  "It was fun."

"Thanks Masato," Ash thanked.  He looked down to see Pikachu and Togepi sitting at a miniature table, eating.

"So you walked, talked and saw the Starmie's.  Nothing more?" Haruka probed.

"No!" they said together.  The conversation ended and everyone ate in silence for the next 20 minutes.

_"I wonder why they're hiding it?"_ Haruka, Tracey and Brock thought while they were eating.

_"What do they know?"_ Ash and Misty wondered.

_"I wonder what to do for lunch?"_ Delia thought.

*

After everything had been cleared away, Ash and Misty sat next to each other outside in the sunshine, on the grass.

"They know," Misty started, turning to face Ash.

"No they don't.  They might just be thinking that a lot more happened than we're saying," he replied.

"Well something _did_ happen."  She sighed.  "We weren't back by half twelve, when they went to bed, so ... what would you think if you were them?"

Ash sighed this time.  "Ok, I give in," he said.  "But they don't know for certain, do they?  They clutching at straws."

Then Masato, holding Togepi, ran outside chasing Pikachu.  "We'll get him Togepi!" he cried, and he ran off.

Ash smiled.  "Remind me again why you wanted to keep it quiet?" he asked.

"Before you say it, it's not that I'm ashamed," she assured him.  "The guys ... they'd make a big deal out of it.  Your Mom would feather us.  My sisters would call me relentlessly."

"But Misty, it is a big deal.  Remember what _everyone_ said when we were in the Orange Islands?  Finally, years afterwards, we're listening to them," he reminded her.  

Next, Haruka, Tracey and Brock came outside with a beach ball.  "Hey guys, feel like playing a little Piggy-In-The-Middle with us out here?"  Haruka asked.

Ash looked to Misty who shook her head.  "I think we'll watch," he told them.

"Ok," Brock said, and they moved a little away and began to play, with Tracey in the middle.

Ash now tried a different approach to it.  "What would you be doing right now, if they knew?" he asked.

Misty thought a little before answering.  "I'd probably have your arm around me, and I'd be leaning against you."  

"Well," Ash tried, "for the sake of holding you in my arms, I think I could deal with my Mom," he said whilst putting his arm around her waist.

"Ash-" Misty tried to speak, but he cut her off.

"For the sake of holding you next to me, I think I can learn how to use the answer phone," he joked.  Misty laughed as he pulled her next to him.

Tracey, Haruka and Brock stopped their game, noticing what was going on.

"And for the sake of being able to kiss you right now," he said, bringing his face closer, "I think I can deal with them," he finished.

"You know they're watching," Misty whispered to him, barely apart from him.

"Let 'em watch," he whispered back, as they kissed.

Brock, Tracey and Haruka waited until they had finished before they spoke.

"You know we knew, don't you?" Brock said, moving and sitting in front of them.  Tracey and Haruka followed suit.

"I had a feeling," Misty confessed.  "But how?"

"We were in the kitchen when you got back," Tracey said.  "We saw you."

Ash ducked his head slightly to hide his blush.  "You were still awake at two in the morning?"

"We had just woken up," Haruka told him.

"Now then," Brock began to tease.  "Just what were you doing for _five hours_ last night?"

Misty stood up quickly and pulled Ash up as well.  "_Not_ what you're thinking!" she shouted.  She began to walk away with Ash.

"How do _we_ know that?" Haruka asked, standing up.

"After all, you were denying you were together at breakfast," Tracey reminded them, getting to his feet and following them with Brock and Haruka.

"You're all too nosey!" Ash shouted, beginning to run with Misty.

The other three began to chase after them.  "It's only because it's taken so long for this to happen!" Tracey shouted.

"Run for it!" Ash shouted to Misty.

"I am!" she shouted back.  All five laughed as they played all afternoon.

**And just maybe those carefree days weren't history, after all ... **

***

Ta da!  Finished!

This took a lot longer than I planned it to!  I thought it would be shorter than it turned out to be.

But there's me for ya.  I watch and write my stories.  I never plan them.

(_) Wobbuffet!  (_) Soonansu!

See?  I never planned that!

Oh well.  Review and tell me what ya think!  My next story will be done soon!  Look out for it!


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